My dad always tried to encourage me to use, spend and invest money wisely. I am betting most dads, even the ones who aren’t particularly financially savvy themselves, try to instill similar ideas in their children.

These Father’s Day gift ideas will not only show Dear Old Dad how much you appreciate him, they will show what you have learned about saving money and finding good deals. Check out these inexpensive Father’s Day gift ideas. Most of them are free, so you won’t need to do any check cashing before you start on your gift.

Make him a web site

If you’ve got digital photos and a bit of tech savvy, you can easily make a web site dedicated to your father on a free personal web page hosting site. Most of these operations provide design tools and web space for no cost. Just plug “make free personal web site” into a search engine, and you’ll have plenty of hosts to choose from.

If you play your cards right, this Father’s Day gift idea could end up being completely free. Many of the page hosting companies are easy to use, so you don’t need training in design software and web programming code. If you’ve already got pictures and a few ideas for things to write about your dad, you’re halfway there. Make a web site dedicated to explaining why your dad is the greatest. Not only will be be flattered by the kind words, he’ll have the gift of knowing he has a smart, frugal child.

Sneak him a screensaver

If you’re somewhat tech savvy, but not web-site-building tech savvy, here is another free Father’s Day gift idea. You can sneak a free screensaver onto his computer at home or work to show appreciation without spending cash.

Check out this website: fatherhood.about.com. There is a collection of free screen savers that will entertain and flatter your father.

Give him a secret safe

There's a gift idea hidden in these screws.

I came across this idea on About.com, and if you’ve already got a mason jar, some nuts and bolts, a scrap of cardboard and a toilet paper tube, you won’t need to spend a dime. This Father’s Day gift idea will show that you’re frugal and care enough to spend some time making a gift. It will also provide your dad with a clever hiding place for small valuables, such as cash or keys.

Just cut the scrap of cardboard so it fits in the bottom of the jar. Make sure the toilet paper roll is the same height as the jar. Glue the end of the tube to the cardboard so you can stand up the tube in the jar. Then just fill in the space between the tube and the jar with nuts and bolts so it looks like the jar is filled with them.

For the techno-Dad

If you want to spend some cash on Dad this Father’s Day, but not too much, check out  this list from PC Magazine of 10 tech gifts for less than $100.

This is a great list for adults who want to get something great for their dads, but donn’t want to break the bank. This list of Father’s Day gift ideas includes inexpensive hand-held video games, great ideas for video games for dads and other useful gadets.

Do you really think Dad wants another ugly tie this year?

It’s that time of year again, when you know the Father’s Day 2009 date is coming  up, but you’re not quite sure how soon. The Father’s Day 2009 date is June 21, which gives you about three weeks to prepare. You don’t want to have to rush out on June 19, get a cash til payday loan and buy him something at the last minute.

Sometimes the best gifts take a little planning time. Fortunately, the most thoughtful gifts usually are also the least expensive. I scoured the web to find some great Father’s Day gifts using these criteria: thoughtful, useful and inexpensive.

Spirit of service

This first gift idea has a great price tag attached: free. Plus, it’s something that every father will appreciate and enjoy: doing yard work. Mowing the lawn, weeding, keeping the yard free of debris and many other little tasks are taken for granted while Dear Old Dad maintains the yard. Show your appreciation and give Dad a much-needed break by dedicating an afternoon or three to doing yard work.

Maybe you have a father who likes doing yardwork. If that’s the case, then help him! You’ll get to spend time together, the tasks will be finished more quickly and you’ll learn about the hard work your dad does to keep your family’s yard nice. June is a fantastic month for working outside, so hop to it!

A fatherly path

“Missy” made a suggestion on Living A Better Life, which describes itself as  “the free money-saving tips ezine.” Missy’s idea is inexpensive, thoughtful and touching. She says:

Personalized Stepping Stones
“I have two kids ages 8 and 3.  Last year we made 3 stepping stones for my husband.  They each got to decorate one and I had enough left over for a thinner stone, so that one I wrote Happy Father’s Day on with the date.  I bought from the dollar store a few different size cake pans just for making stones.  Also bought some gem stones to decorate with and other little things.  I bought a bag of cement from the craft store and a few mosaic pieces.  We plan to do that every year.  My husband really enjoyed them.  My kids were thrilled they were able to decorate them any way, especially my then 2 year old.  You may need a week in advance to get them done.” – Missy

All grown up

For older children who want to honor their dads on Father’s Day, it is sometimes hard to find appropriate, inexpensive gifts that aren’t too cliched or cheesy.

This last idea might fall into the “cheesy” category, but it just might be the best gift you can give your father. Here is a touching story from Roberta:

“For Father’s Day in 1984 I wrote my dad a letter about all the ways he had positively impacted my life.  When he died six weeks later very unexpectedly, I discovered he had requested this letter be put in the coffin.” - Roberta

The Father’s Day 2009 date is approaching, so waste no more time and get working on figuring out the perfect way to honor your father this year.